Fire damages deli, forces evacuations in Edmonds

EDMONDS — An early morning fire caused extensive damage to a deli on Edmonds Way on Thursday and forced four people and three dogs to flee an apartment.

Several people called 911 to report the blaze around 3:50 a.m.

Flames climbing to 30 feet could be seen from the back of the building and firefighters in Edmonds could smell the fire when they left their station nearby.

The fire broke out at Mike’s Deli-Mart on 232nd Street SW and Edmonds Way and also caused minor smoke damage to a barbershop and an apartment above it, Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.

Someone who spotted the fire warned the people inside the apartment.

“They say somebody came by and pounded on their door,” Hynes said. “They don’t know who she was. They all were able to get out on their own.”

Edmonds Way was closed while 36 firefighters from Fire District 1, Lynnwood and Shoreline battled the blaze.

The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire. Investigators said it may be days before they have a cause, Hynes said. They said the building may be a total loss, mostly due to extensive damage in the attic and parapet.

A storage area at the back of the deli was also heavily damaged and there is smoke and water damage throughout the store. The barbershop and apartment have minor smoke damage.

The fire presented a couple of challenges.

The building had been added on to over the years and that led to problems in overhead spaces, Hynes said. There also was a high-voltage cell phone tower on the building.